Take Us Home: A Walking Dead Ending Re-Written
by billyboy92365
Summary: Walking Dead: The Final Seasons conclusion rewritten. Many complaints have been put forward of the Ending being subversive and little more. Find the emotional weight and meaning that was missing with this rewriting of the final act.


Take Us Home

A Walking Dead Retelling

(I do not claim ownership of these characters, instead this is a simple rewriting of the Telltale Walking Dead Final Season Finale to be more satisfying to long time fans. In this story, all the choices and actions remain the same up until after the fight with Minerva on the Bridge. All events mentioned in a choice based situation are created from the canon result, being the majority decision made by players. The purpose of this writing is to prove that with just a few tweaks to the script for _Take Us Back_ could have led to the resulting actions being far more impactful and deep.)

Clementine winced. There had only been a few times in her life before that she had as much pain as she currently was in. The dog bite after being seperated from Christa, the incident when AJ was still a toddler, even the branding from New Frontier. These were all surface level, the only one that was even possibly life threatening was the dog bite due to rabies. This was different, a canyon carved into the flesh of the calf from an axe head wielded by a psychotic and brainwashed woman more walker than human. As though the walk back to the decrepit school couldn't get any longer, in distance or length of time. She had to focus though, she couldn't stop now. Not just for AJ, but for Violet. She thought it was love, or maybe it was just a crush. Who can say in these times? Could she really be picky choosing between them or a walker? What would happen if they turned, was it worth it to open up at the risk of losing someone again like Kenny or Jane or worst of all Lee? Standing and balancing herself on her axe, she hobbled over to the plank that extended furthest from the collapsed portion of the bridge. Throwing the axe across to AJ, she stepped back and ran as well as she could before leaping across the gap, landing on her freshly sounded leg and the pain searing her nerves instantaneously.

Her leg giving out from beneath her, it was her first time feeling vulnerable in front of AJ. There had been numerous times before where they had been injured or faced death, but Clem never felt vulnerable, she could always think of a way out of their situations. A lot of the times, it was nothing more than pure luck that got them out of a tight squeeze, but there was no luck involved this time. Clem could not think her way out of cut muscles and shredded tendons, couldn't hope for some last minute rescue from the kids back at the school. In the midst of her pain, all she could hear was Violet screaming but she couldn't recognize the words. All Clem heard was the anguish and pain in Violet's voice. Thinking that Violet was speaking to her, Clem grabbed the axe and tried to stand up again, spotting Violet tightly holding AJ's arm and pointing at the massive herd that was now feasting on the remains of Minnie and Tenn. as the words started to come back into focus, it became clear what they were arguing over. Violet screamed "How could you? I could have grabbed him!" and AJ quickly retorted "No you couldn't, Tenn was broken. Couldn't you see that? He kept screwing up, he put us all at risk, put you at risk! If I hadn't have shot him, you would have been killed too and he would have suffered more than he needed too. Clem trusted me to make tough decisions, so I made one."

Clearly disturbed by this response, Violet turns around and starts to direct her vitriol towards Clementine. "Did you really tell him he could just make a decision like that? At his age with what he already did too…." As her sentence stuttered to a halt, the angry spark in her eye faded, only to be replaced with a raging inferno of pure terror and a look of fear on her face. "Clementine, Run!" She screamed as she grabbed Aj's hand and ran towards the fence directly behind him. Turning around to see what could have scared a person like Violet so easily, Clementine quickly realized what a mistake this was when she was face-to-face with a herd that was as large as the one currently walking itself off the bridge into the gorge below, attracted by Minervas gunshots and Violet's screams. Turning 180 degrees, she started to work her way to the fence as fast as she could. Violet was still holding onto AJ and trying to get him to climb the fence first while he struggled against her grasp and reaching for the pistol tucked into his waistband with his free hand. As Clem arrives to the fence, Violet cries out "We need to hurry, AJ get over the fence, then you go Clem, and I'll go last."

Clementine shakes her head. "You and I both know that isn't how this is going to work out. You get over the fence. I will help AJ get up from this side, you help him get down. I will go last. I'm already injured and if one of us doesn't make it it should be the one who isn't already slowing us down. Just promise me if things go that way you will take care of him." Violet nods solemnly before climbing the fence and jumping down. The impact with the ground brings a new surprise though, more walkers emerging from the forest onto both sides of the fence. "Go, AJ and I will find a way, just run!" Clementine Screams as she cleaves into a Zombie skull with her axe and AJ lets off a shot with his pistol. Violet again nods and runs out of sight.

"AJ, we need to get to that cliff, the one across the street. You go around the side of the hoard and pick off any that get to close for comfort, I will work my way up the middle. When we get to the cliff, I'll push you up, are we clear?" Clementine states and waits for the nod of understanding from AJ. With determination and all her focus put on walking forward, not stopping, and killing anything that gets in her way Clementine is able to work her way through the initial branch of the oncoming hoard. Growing ever closer and the Walkers from the forest converging together into a wall surrounding AJ and Clem. Handing AJ the axe and Putting him on her shoulders, she pushes him up the cliff until he can grab the ledge and is safely out of reach. "Clem, come on!" he screams down as she grips the wall and starts to climb. About halfway up the embankment, the searing pain like she experienced after landing on her leg returned. It was different this time though, it wasn't a pain of strain being put on the wound. No, it was a pain like when she stitched up the dog bite, of the wound being closed. Looking down, she spotted the source of this excruciating experience, a walker hanging onto her leg, gripping the wounded area as tightly as a bear trap. Keeping one hand on the wall, Clem shifts her body around to try and kick the walker off. Finally though, the time has come and what she thought could never happen, her worst nightmare, comes true. The walker hanging from her boot manages to restrain her long enough a walker comes from the opposite side of the hoard and sinks its teeth into her calf and the other walkers hand. As she kicks both of them off, she notices the walker that grabbed her and it's lack of fingers now and scrambles up the wall as fast as she can.

In full blown panic mode now, the only thought in Clementines head is "Why now, oh please not now." Peeling back the now shredded remains of her leather boot, the wound from the Axe mingles with the freshly drawn blood from a walkers bite. She wasn't going to lose another Lee, she was the next Lee. With this realization, her resolve strengthened. "We need to go, we need to get back to the school. We are near enough to James barn we should be able to take shelter there until the herd passes." she says. "Clem" AJ Says "Your okay, right?" with a concerned and very grave look on his face. "I'm bit, AJ. we can't focus on that now though. We need to find somewhere safe until the path clears to the school." nodding, AJ starts to walk down the path leading to James barn before noticing the increasing number of walkers in the woods and their growing attention on AJ and her. Reaching the barn as the walkers start to emerge from the woods, Clem secures the door with her last bit of strength before collapsing on a hay bale. "AJ, I can't get up. I need you to secure the stalls. We need to make sure the Walkers can't get in. Then, when I turn, I need you to kill me. I can't become one of them while you're in here."

As AJ secures the barn, voices start to whisper to Clem. The voices of all those who had died over the years. Duck, Kenny, Jane, Omid, Luke, and so many others all came back to her. The loudest though was Lee. "You've done good, Clementine, it's time." it was always Lee, her father, the man who brought her up in the new and terrifying world. AJ runs over to Clem and sees her eyes growing foggy and tired. "Clem, Clem, are you okay?" he yells as walkers start to bang on the barn door. "Goofball, you've gotten so big. You know how this has to end, you know what is going to happen. I want you to keep your promise, I want you to let me go and to live a long life. To sleep in your bed again and give Violet a hug for me. I need you to live, and to do that you need to kill me, AJ. and remember" As AJ starts to cry, he starts to protest but stops himself. It was like with Abel, sometimes death is a mercy. Raising the axe above his head, it suddenly drops and the screen fades to black.

Clementine once again sits on the edge of the boxcar as the train from so many years ago races on. The difference is that she is no longer the same 8 year old girl as she has always imagined in this situation. This time, she is fully grown and the boxcar is a lot less dark. "Back again so soon?" a familiar voice calls out "I thought you had to be a hero somewhere, and some kids to rescue?" Lee emerges from the back of the boxcar and hugs Clementine tight. "I did. We got everyone home safely, well, almost everyone." she says, looking outside and then down at her leg. "I know, I am so proud of you. You did your best raising that boy when you were barely a kid yourself. In the end though, we all have our own time to go. You kept him safe, kept him alive. The truth is, all we have in this new world is those who we love and who love us." Clementine and Lee embrace one more time before Kenny, Duck, Katja, and everyone else who had previously died on her long trip start funneling into the boxcar. "Welcome home, Clementine." Kenny says with everyone smiling and the light envelops everyone in the car.

Several weeks have passed, and there are no further signs of Delta in the area or of a possible return. AJ, Violet, and Rosie are at the remains of the dock previously housing the Delta base. After loading several of the remaining supplies deemed salavable onto the cart, there is one more box remaining picked up in the river. AJ wades out to pick it up and recognizes a familiar shade of faded lavender against a rock by the shore. Clementine's hat, her prized possession, was splashing in the water caught on a wood branch sticking out of the water. Pushing the box to shore and grabbing the cap on the way back, Violet picks up the box and asks what he found. "It's her hat, she lost it the night of the fight." Violets face goes blank for a moment before going back to normal. "Okay, come on, we need to get back. I'm sure Omar has dinner ready, or mostly done I hope." AJ nods and walks to the front, climbing onto the buckboard as Violet snaps the reigns and starts the trip back to the school.

As the cart approaches the newly redecorated and renamed school, the gates open with everyone gathering to watch the cart's arrival. It is almost like every time the cart comes, they expect Lily to be driving or Mitch and the others to be in the back. AJ gets off and walks over to Louis to give him a hug. Ruby smiles at him as she unhitches the horse and Violet walks around the back of the cart to open the gate and let Rosie out. As the night passes, the true nature of life at the school shows itself, no longer the innocent haven it was under Marlow but recovering from the blow dealt that day not so long ago. As the wounds start to close and heal, the groups slowly comes back together as the family they once were. Excusing himself from the table, AJ walks around to give Violet a good night hug. "Good night, Goofball." she says softly, a solemn note in her voice. As he walks into the dorms and his old bedroom, he opens the door with the hat behind his back to see Clementine laying on the bed. The room is bright, with the sun shining through the window. "Hey there Goober." Clem says, adjusting herself on the bed, her bandaged remains of her left leg throwing her off balance. "Find anything good today?" she asks, smiling to see him so excited to see her. "Ya!" he replies. "We found some medicine, a couple of rifles, and I have a surprise!" he says revealing her baseball cap. Shocked by the recovery of her beloved possession, Clem is speechless. "I found it in the river, it's a bit wet, but in a few days it should be dry enough to wear it." he says, handing it to her.

Smiling, she turns it around and smiles at the decaying emblem. "It was about your age my dad gave this to me, I think it is time you have it." she says handing it back to him. "How is Violet doing? Is she handling things well?" she asks, a concerned look rising on her face. "She is getting better. It was hard at first, me showing up alone. She didn't know what to say or do and when I hugged her she couldn't let go. She shut herself off, first Minnie then you. She didn't talk to anyone or stop crying for a long time. Sometimes I still hear her when I walk by her room at night. I think everyone was surprised and hurt. Louis hasn't touched the Piano since that night. We all miss you Clem, I miss you." he says, hugging her tight. "I know, Kiddo, and I miss you too. Just know that anytime you need me, I will be here. I love you, AJ." "I love you back, Clem."

The room becomes darker, only illuminated from the campfires burning outside. Clem's bunk, her home for the last few months, lay gathering dust. The knick knacks and possessions gathered since the arrival to the school serving as solemn reminders of the room's former inhabitant. Finally, the room goes completely black and a cross with the name "Clementine" carved into the horizontal piece of wood becomes visible. The group recovered her body a few days after the hoard cleared away from the barn and brought her back to her final home. "Good-bye, Clem." AJ Whispers as he places the cap down on top of the cross and walks away.

"Thank you for Playing" can be seen above the cap as the sun setting behind the camera throws its last rays of light onto the long since worn baseball cap. The sun literally setting on the series.


End file.
